Observations placeholder
Madame d’Esperance - Shadow Land - 18 The appearance of a disembodied man’s face
Identifier
020725
Type of Spiritual Experience
Inter composer communication
Hallucination
Background
a group hallucination or maybe magic lanterns
A description of the experience
SHADOW LAND OR LIGHT FROM THE OTHER SIDE by Elisabeth d’Esperance(1897)
….. on the occasion of our next seance, which also happened to be finished earlier than usual, I was requested to make another trial with the cabinet, whereupon I took my place as on the previous occasion. The cabinet, I must explain, was simply a small recess in one corner of the room, the front hung by thick red baize curtains from the ceiling to the floor.
During seances the room was dimly lighted by one or two gas jets which were generally turned low; but which sufficiently illuminated the room to enable anyone in it to see and observe all that took place, and to read or make notes, but not sufficient to penetrate the thickness of the curtains; so that I, sitting behind them, was comparatively speaking in absolute darkness, while those on the other side had sufficient light for all ordinary purposes.
It was not long before the same strange disturbances in the air began as on the previous occasion. I felt my hair blown and lifted by currents of air, and cool breezes played about my face and hands. Then began a strange sensation, which I had sometimes felt at seances. Frequently I have heard it described by others as of cobwebs being passed over the face, but to me, who watched it curiously, it seemed that I could feel fine threads being drawn out of the pores of my skin.
I experienced none of the fear of the previous evening. At first I had a strange eerie feeling somewhat akin to it, but that passed off, and I became perfectly calm and indisposed to move or to answer any of the many questions addressed to me by my friends outside. At the same time I took a great interest in analysing my own sensations and wondered as to what would come of the experiment, for that something was about to happen I was certain.
"There is a man's face!" I heard a voice exclaim.
"Dear me, so there is. Goodness! how queer."
"Can you see it?"
"Yes, we can all see it. Who can it be?"
"Where is it?" I asked, roused by these exclamations.
"There, between the curtains. A round face with dark eye brows, hair, and moustache. There! he is nodding and laughing Can't you see him?"